Method of reforming bars for rail joints



Nov. 24, 1931. G. LANGFORD METHOD OF REFORMING BARS FOR RAIL JOINTS Filed March 28. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 24, 1931. e. LANGFORD 1,333,025

METHOD OF REFORMING BARS FOR RAIL JOINTS Filed March 28, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 807' e 0 w w, M

f struction.

Patented Nov. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE LANGFORD, 01 JULIET, ILLINOIS, ABBIGNOB TO HCKL'HHA P300138 COMPANY OF ILLINOIS, F JOLIE'I', ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 01' ILLINOIS METHOD OF REFORMING BARS FOB nan. JOINTS Application fled larch 28, 1989. Berla1 No. 350,788.

My invention has to do with a method of reforming rail joint angle bars, such method being particularly adapted for converting bars of one type into bars of another type.

Certain types of bars do not lend themselves readily to reforming and, in dealing with such bars, difficulties are encountered One of the main objects of my invention is to provide a method whereby angle bars of the character referred to can be readily reformed to produce bars of proper crosssection for use in joints of present day con- A further object is to provide a method whereby bars of present day construction can be readily converted from one type of bar to another type of bar, as desired. Another object is to provide a method well adapted for reforming worn bars of one type to produce therefrom bars of another type. Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the detailed description.

In the drawings;

Figure 1 is an endview of an an 1e bar of plain angle cross section, as applie Figure 2 is an end view of the bar of Figure 1 which has been in use for some time and is badly worn;

Figure 3 is an end view of a bar of the I- beam type such as is used in joints of present day construction, as applied;

Figure 4 is an end view of a pair of dies and a bar therein illustrating the method of my invention;

Figure 5 is an end view of a bar reformed in accordance with my invention as applied;

Figure 6 is an end view of a bar of I-beam section, this bar being of the head contact type which is extensivel used in rail of resent day construction;

igure 7 is an end view of an I-beam bar of head free type formed from the bar of Figure 6, as app ied;

Figure 8 is an end view of a rail joint showing at one side a head free bar of known construction and at the other side a head contact bar formed from the head free bar by my method.

In Fi re 1 I have illustrated the simplest form 0 rail joint angle bar, this bar being of plain angle section and of a type which is now considered obsolete. The inner face of this bar is but slightly concave, being substantially flat so that in order to restore the fishin to its original height, the whole bar must e compressed, there not being enough toe at 1 and 2 for the dies to produce a good s reading action. This bar is now consldered as obsolete and must be altered in section to conform to modern requirements as otherwise there would be no economy in reformin it The difficult of reforming this bar is further increased y the present factor of crowning bars, which is considered highly desirable under certain conditions, so that the bar must, therefore, be restored to considerabl more than its original fishing height. Al so, in modern bars the draw space at 3 and 4 is much greater than in the old type of bars.

In the older bars, exemplified by the bar of Figur 1, a draw space of one sixteenth to one eighth if an inch was considered ample whereas, under present practice, a draw space of at least three sixteenths of an inch is reqnired, hich means that the height of a bar such as t at of Figure 1 must be materially increased to obtain this draw space. Many of these old bars were poorly made and have been in use so lon that the ori 'nalL head bearing surface in icated by the otted line 2' of Figure 2 has been completely worn away to the line 1'3, the angle of this surface to the horizontal changing several degrees. The great difiicult in reforming a worn bar such as that of Figure 2 is to restore the wearing surface to the line 1'- joints One way of doing this is by displacing the 100 metal at the head of the bar to the line 56 of Figure 1. This is highly objectionable as the width of the hearing or fishing surface at the head of the bar is materially reduced, this width being indicated by the line 57 of Figure 1. Also, even though the height of the fishing be restored in this manner, the section of the bar remains such that it is unsuited for use in joints of present day construction, as above pointed out.

In Figure 3 I have illustrated a bar of present day construction suitable for use in modern rail joints. Referring to this figure, the draw space at 8 is three sixteenths of an inch or more and the draw space at 9 is usually one quarter of an inch or more. The bar has a full width bearing against the fishing surface of the rail head at 10 and. at the flange, has casement 11, the width of the flange bearing surface with the flange fishing surface of the rail being indicated by 1213. It will be noted that the bar of Figure 1 lacks the easement of the bar of Figure 3 and the draw spaces of Figure 1 are entirely too small for use in present day rail joint construction. Also, if the bar of Figure 2 be reformed to restore the height of the fishing, the fishing surface 5-7 is entirely too narrow for use in present day rail joints. The problem Is to reform the bar of Figure 2 to produce a bar having all of the essential characteristics of the bar of Figure 3. In doing thls great dlfficulty is encountered in properly restoring the head bearing surface of the bar and also materially increasing the height of the bar. It has been proposed to reform the bar of Figure 2 by bending the flange upwardly and outwardly along a line adjacent the outer face of the bar to provide easement, and bending the upper portion of the bar inwardly, at the same time displacing metal from the inner face of the lower portion of the bar and cansing it to flow into the upper or head portion thereof.

To accomplish this enormous pressures are required due to the substantially flat shape of the body of the bar and, even when such pressures are employed, it is impossible, from a practical standpoint, to accurately form the head and flange fishing surfaces. This proposed method of reforming the bar is based on the assumption that it is essential to maintain the angle of the fishing surfaces at what is considered standard, that is, an angle of 14 degrees to the horizontal. I have found, however, that by slightly altering the angles of these surfaces, the bar can be readily reformed so as to produce accurate fishing surfaces without any necessity of bending either the flange or the body of the bar and without displacing any appreciable amount of metal. In this manner, I render it possible to readily reform these obsolete angle bars by comparatively low pressure so that these bars, which have heretofore been considered as of little or no value due to the great difficulty of reforming them, become practically available by my method for producing bars of proper section suitable for use in rail ]01I1tS 0 present day constructioh.

In Figure 4 of the drawings, I have illus trated, more or less diagrammatically, one method of practicing my invention. A bar B similar to that of Figure 2 is placed in a lower die 14 with which cooperates an upper moi able die 15.

The dies are shown as fully closed, the reformed bar being shown in full lines and the bar before reforming, insofar as it does not coincide with the outline of the reformed bar, being shown in dotted lines. The head fishing forming surface indicated by the line 1617 is disposed at an angle to the vertical of about 11, and the flange fishing forming surface of the die 14, indicated by the line 1819 is disposed at an angle to the vertical of about 17, the surface 2021 of the upper die 15 being substantially horizontal. The two dies have cooperating inclined faces constituting a die lock 22 which acts to transform the vertical pressure of die 15 into lateral pressure in the direction of the flange of the bar, as the dies are closed. These dies, and the means for causing relative lateral shifting therebetween, form the subject matter of my copending application for means for reforming worn angle bars, Serial No. 122,864, filed July 16, 1926. The dies act to press the flange of the bar outwardly slightly at 18 and inwardly to a slight extent at 23, the flange remaining undisturbed from 18 to 24. By thus reducing the angle of the head fishing surface and increasing the angle of the flange fishing surface, the bar can be efficiently reformed with the displacement of but a small amount of metal at the upper face of the flange, as indicated at 25, this displaced metal being redistributed at the under face of the flange to form the flange fishing 18--19.

Since the angle of the head fishing surface is reduced from approximately 14 to the vertical. to approximately 11 to the vertical, with the bar in the horizontal position of Figure 4, the exterior angle between the head fishing surface and the outer face of the bar is reduced approximately 3. Also, since the angle of the flange fishing surface is increased from approximately 14 to the vertical, to approximately 17 to the vertical, the exterior angle between the flange fishing surface and the outer face of the bar is increased approximately 3.

I thus eliminate all necessity for employing high pressures to bend the flange of the bar and to displace and redistribute relatively large quantities of metal, such as IS necessary when attempting to reform a bar of this type in accordance with tpresent; and prior practice. The solution 0 this problem of reforming these bars, which is a real problem in this art, resides basically in the alteration of the angle of one of the fishing surfaces of the bar. Heretofore, it has been considered essential to maintain these surfaces at the standard angle which is 14? to the horizontal for each surface, the surfaces converging inwardly of the bar. In racticing my method I have made a radlcal departure from the rior art in that I do not attempt to maintain the angle of the fishing surfaces but, on the contrary, intentionally alter these angles as above pointed out. Although I have illustrated the bar in a horizontal position in the dies, it may be disposed in any desired position, the important feature of my -invention residing, in the form illustrated in Figure 4, in decreasing the head bearing angle and increasing the flange bearing angle in relation to the outside face of the bar so as to reform the worn bar to requirements with the least possible bending or distortion and displacement and redistribution of metal.

As above noted, in its broader aspects my invention resides in the alteration of the angle of one of the fishing surfaces of the bar. This may be accomplished in different ways, the preferred method being that of Fi re 4 above described. However, by re erence to Figure 4 it can be seen that, instead of increasing the angle of the flange fishing to the outer face ofthc bar by pressure applied at 21, 25 and 19, pressure may be applied at 20 in such manner as to move the head of the bar and the upper portion of the outer face of the Web downward so that the increased angle of flange fishing is obtained by inclining the outer face of the bar and pressing the head downward, the outer portion of the flange being brought to the left, as considered in Figure 4, to obtain flange easement. This provides a variation of my methodby means of which the angles of the fishing surfaces can readily be altered. The bar thus converted is, in its broader aspects, essentiall the same as the reformed bar of Figure 4 in that by altering the angle of one or both of the fishing surfaces I produce from a bar of one type a bar of a different type which, when applied in ajoint, will have its outer face set at a different angle to the vertical axis of the rail than the original unworn bar. I have illustratedand described herein the preferred method of practicing my invention, by way of example, but such illustrations of my invention are not to be considered limitative and any method employing the essential feature of my invention above set forth, of reforming or converting a bar by alteration of the angles of the fishing surfaces thereof so that the reformed bar when applied in a joint will have its outer face set or inclined at a different angle to the vertical axis of the rail than the original unworn bar is to be considered as included within the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

In Figure 5 I have illustrated a bar reformed from the bar of Figure 2 in accordance with the method illustrated in Figure 4. The head bearing angle on this bar, indicated by the line '25'26' is disposed at an angle of 11 from the horizontal, and the flange bearing surface indicated by the line 2728 is disposed at an angle of 17 to the horizontal. The head and flange fishing surfaces of the rail 29 to which the bar is applied are oppositely inclined and are each disosed at the standard angle of 14 to the orizontal. When the reformed baris applied to this rail it is tipped so that its outer face inclines upwardly and inwardly toward the rails. This tipping of the bar serves to bring the head and flange fishing surfaces thereof into accurate lit with the fishing surfaces of the head and flan e of the rail and the height of the bar, as etermined by the forming die, is such as to provide the proper draw spaces 2'9 and 30, these draw spaces being much greater than the draw spaces 3 and 4 of Figure 1 and equal to the draw 5 aces 8 and 9 of Figure 3. This tilting of t e bar toward the rail also serves to move the outer portion of the flange 31 upwardly away from the rail flan e thus providing the easement 32 corresponc ing to the easement 11 of F igure 3. It will thus be seen that, by my method, I render it possible to efl'iciently reform, with but comparatively small pressure and little displacement of metal, a t pe of bar which is now obsolete and which it has heretofore been impossible, from a practical standpoint, to reform to advantage.

The inclining of the bar when applied to the rail is not objectionable in any respect and has the advantage of giving ample draw space at the flange of the bar while enabling efficient reforming of the bar by a simple operation as compared to an extremely difficult and rather complicated die operation when these bars are reformed in accordance with the prior art.

In Figure 7 I have illustrated a head free bar, as applied, produced by reforming a head contact bar such as that il ustrated in Figure 6. To produce the bar of Figure 7 from the bar of Figure 6, the angle of the head bearing surface is reduced and the angle of the flange bearing surface is increased, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure '6. The bar, thus reformed, when applied is tilted inwardly toward the rail, at its upper or head portion, so as to cause the inner portion 33-34 of the bar head to contact with the fillet of the rail head 35, this tilting of the bar bringing the flange bearing surface 3637 thereof into proper contact with the fishing of flange 38 of the rail 39. This also serves to tilt flange 40 of the bar B upwardly away from rail flan e 38 so as to provide easement 41. If foun desirable or necessary, in reforming this bar, ressure can be applied at the outer side of t e flange 40 so as to displace the metal thereof inwardly, shifting the line 42-43 of the spike slots inwardly.

It is thus possible, by my method, to readily convert a head contact bar of the I-beam type such as is extensively used in joints of present day construction, into a head free bar of a type also used in joints of present day construction by a slight displacement and redistribution of metal at the head and flange portion of the bar, and with the use of comparatively light pressure. In the reforming of the bar of Figure 6, as in the reforming of the bar of Figure 2, an essential feature of the reforming operation is the change of the head and flange bearing surfaces by havin the angle thereof subnormal and abnorma re spectively. If pressure is not applied to the outer side of flange 40 of the bar for shifting the line of the spike slot, the amount of metal displaced and redistributed, in reforming the bar of Figure 6 into the bar of Figure 7, is quite small. If the flange is subjected to pressure to shift the line of the spike slots inwardly, the displacement of metal is slightly increased, though not materially so, and this pressure on the flange is of assistance in producing the flow of metal at 37 to complete the flange fishing surface.

In Figure 8, I have illustrated a head free bar 44 of a type well known in the art, applied to a rail 45 at one side thereof, and a head contact bar 46 applied to the rail at the other side thereof, the bar 46 being produced from the bar 44 by increasing the angle of the head contact or bearing surface and decreasing the angle of the flange bearing surface of bar 44.

This operation is the reverse of that required to roduce the bar of Figure 7 from the bar of Figure 6 but, in each instance, a bar of one type is converted into a bar of another type by slightly altering the angles of the bearing surfaces of the bar, this being readily accomplished with comparatively small pressure and by the displacement and redistribution of but small amounts of metal. In the reformed bar 46 of Figure 8, the head of the bar is, in effect, moved outwardly instead of being moved or shifted inwardly as in the bar of Figure 7. The principle involved, in each instance, however, is the same.

I have illustrated, by way of example, bars of several types converted into bars of other types in accordance with my invention. I do not intend, however, to limit my invention in any way to the types of bars illustrated herein since it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that bars of. various other types can be readily converted into other bars of different types by my method herein disclosed, the fundamental feature of which resides in converting a bar of one type into a bar of another type without necessltating the use of great pressure or the displacement of large amounts of metal, by the simple expedient of varying or altering the angles of the bearing surfaces of the bar. In its broader aspects, my invention comprehends the converting of a bar of one type into a bar of another type by altering the angle of either one or both of the bearing surfaces of the bar. In its preferred form, both of these surfaces are altered in their angular relation to the outer face of the bar.

In describing my method of reforming bars, illustrated in Fig. 4, I have assumed that the head and flange fishing surfaces were originally at an angle of 14 each to the horizontal, the sum of these two angles bein 28. This is the standard angle for rails of w at is known as the ARAA type. The reformed bar has, therefore, been illustrated and described as having head and flange fishings disposed at an angle of 11 and 17, respectively, the sum of these two angles being 28. This is readily accomplished with a displacement of a minimum amount of metal, by decreasing the angle of the head fishing three degrees and increasing the angle of the flange fishing a like amount, as previously described. My invention is not, however, to be in any respect limited to this particular type of bar, as it is equally ap licable to bars of other types. For examp e, in bars known as the ASCE and ARA-B types, the angle of the head and flange fishing surfaces, respectively, is 13, the sum of these angles being 26. In a bar converted or reformed to produce a bar of either of the two last mentioned types, the head fishing would be at an angle of about 10 and the flange fishing at an angle of about 16, the sum of these two angles being 26.

The angles of the fishing surfaces of the converted bars can be varied Within limits, the

important feature of my invention residing in the fact that I can convert a bar of one type into a bar of another type, or can reform a bar of one type into a bar of the same general type, with facility by slightly altermg the angle of one or both of the fishing surfaces of the bar to be converted or reformed.

What I claim is:

1. The method of reforming exterior anle bars for rail joints, consisting in increasmg the angle of the flange fishing surface to the outer face of the bar and decreasing the exterior angle of the head fishing surface to the outer face of the bar, the reformed bar when applied in a joint being inclined to ward the rail with the head and flange fishing surfaces of the bar in contact with the corresponding surfaces of the rail throughout the length of the bar.

2. The method of reforming a head free bar into a head contact bar which consists in subjecting the bar to ressure by re-shaping dies causin a redistn ution of the metal in the head 0 the bar to provide draw space at the upper inner corner of the rail head fillet and to vertically raise the top surface of the bar in amount and distribution to provide fishing contact between the to surface of the bar and the under side of t e rail head.

3. A method of reformin head free rail joint bars into head cont ct ars, which consists in subjecting the at to pressure 1n reshaping dies causing a redistributionpf the metal in the head of the bar to provide space between the upper inner corner thereof and the rail head fillet, and to vertically raise the top surface of the bar to provide rail head contact.

4. A method of reformingJ head free rail joint bars into head contact are which consists in subjecting the bar to pressure 1n reshaping dies causing a redistribution of the metal in the head of the bar to provide space between the u er inner corner thereof and the rail head fll et and to vertically raise the top surface of the bar to provide rail head contact, and causin a redistribution of the metal in the foot of the bar to horizontally increase the angle ofthe rail bearing surface.

5. The method of reforming angle bars for rail joints, which comprises increasing the exterior angle of the flange fishing surface to the outer face of the bar and decreasing the exterior angle of the head fishing surface to the outer face of the bar, the reformed bar when applied in a joint being inclined toward the rail with the head and flange fishing surfaces of the bar in contact with the corresponding surfaces of the rail.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe 40 my name this 16th day of March, 1929.

GEORGE LANGFORD.

subjecting the bar to ressure by re-shaping dies causin a redistn ution of the metal in the head 0 the bar to provide draw space at the upper inner corner of the rail head fillet and to vertically raise the top surface of the bar in amount and distribution to provide fishing contact between the to surface of the bar and the under side of t e rail head.

3. A method of reforming head free rail joint bars into head contact ars, which consists in subjecting the bar to pressure in reshaping dies causing a redistribution of the metal in the head of the bar to provide space between the up er inner corner thereof and the rail head Hot, and to vertical] raise the top surface of the bar to provi e rail head contact. 4. A method of reforming) head free rail Joint bars into head contact are which consists in subjecting the bar to pressure in reshaping dies causing a redistribution of the metal in the head of the bar to provide space between the u er inner corner thereof and the rail head 1 at and to vertically raise the top surface of the bar to provide rail head contact, and causin a' redistribution of the metal in the foot of the bar to horizontally increase the angle ofthe rail bearing surface.

5. The method of reforming angle bars for rail joints, which comprises increasing the exterior angle of the flange fishing surface to the outer face of the bar and decreasing the exterior angle of the head fishing surface to the outer face of the bar, the reformed bar when applied in a joint bein inclined toward the rail with the head and ange fishmg surfaces of the bar in contact with the corresponding surfaces of the rail.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 16th day of March 1929.

GEORGE LANdFoRn.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. l, 833, 026.

Granted November 24, 1931, to

GEORGE LANGFORD.

It is hereby certified that error appears above numbered patent requiring correction as 1, strike out the word "exterior" and ins in line, 120, same claim; and that the aai in the printed specification of the follows: Page 4. linellS, claim he same before the word "angle" d Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 9th day of February,

(Seal) n. J. Moore. Acting Commissioner of Patents.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,833,026. Granted November 24, 1931, to

GEORGE LANGFORD.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 4, line 118, claim 1, strike out the word "exterior" and insert the same before the word "angle" in line, 120, same claim; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 9th day of February. A. D. 1932.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Comiasioner of Patents. 

